Method and means for detecting leaks in lead sheath telephone cables



Aug. 8, 1950 2,518,327

' A. P. JAHN METHOD AND MEANS FOR DETECTING LEAKS IN LEAD SHEATH TELEPHONE CABLES Filed Jan. 20, 1947 DETEC TOR POWER SUPPLY AMF? /NVENTOR AP JAHN @y @MM ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1950 METHD AND .MEANS :FOR'DETECTING IJEAKS 'IN LEAD SHE'ATH TELEPHONE CABLES Alfred P...J.,al1n, Summit, N..;.I., assignor toffEell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, Y..a .corporationof New York Application Jlanuary 20, i947', YSer-al'lio. 7252072 2 Claims. (Cl. 250e-83.6)

This invention relates tothe locatingvof leaks in lead sheathcables--andmore particularly to the locating of leaks in lead sheathed multiconductor communi-cation `cables 'which maybe 'located feither underground or Vin fthe air Yand which Vmay or may not be normally maintained under gas pressure'.

This invention is alsov applicable to the-detecting of leaks inlead sheath communication cables of the aforementioned type.

This invention is alsoA applicable for locating the position of -a buried cable and also- :ior determining'the path ofthe-cable:

The object .of this `invention is the provision of a method and means for locating flea-ks :in the sheaths of lead-,covered 4.eoIn-inunicaticn cables.

Another obi ect -of the invention isetheprovision .of a methodv mea-ns for detecting `leaks' buried communication cables which eliminates the necessity -for excavating and exposing long lengths oi" the cable. Y

A further obect of the invention is thermovision.y of a method and nien-lisier locati-ng the position and path ci a .buried lead-covered. com munication cable.,

In the maintenance and operation-ci. :comma nicationl circuits, which `uti-lizea plurality of paper insulated ccnductorsenclosed in -a lead sheath, it is. essential that moistune .be prevented 4from entering thecable through openings. in thesheath 2 which have been caused .by abrasion or mechanical injury. It. has been found fby maintain ing cables under gas pressure, thatis, filling :the cable with an inert .gas such as nitrogen., Iunder a pressure of fremd 110,9 pounds per square inch, that when breaks'occu-r in the sheath the escapa ing gas will prevent. the entrance yof moisture 4at that point. However, to determine the location of the` leak is a time-consuming job since pressure read-ings rnusthbe vmade along the length of the cable computations made to .determine the approximate location of theleak. Thesheath must then be examined min-utely toalocate the leak. There have been many suggestions made and tried out. to reduce the 'time consumed' in locating such lee-ks and also to accurately determine the location of saidleaks but to date no better methed has been evolved than that which is now standard practice with' thecommunication companies which necessitatethe use, r

among other expensive equipment, of' fragile measuring devices'.

In the case of leaks in lead-covered cables, which are not maintained under pressure, the location of. the leak. isnot usually .discovered until the :conductors havel 'been .damaged by the .entrance of moistlne land lfthe consemientA putting out of service one or more circuits in .the cable. The location of the. break in: |'the lead of the' :cable -is idetermined by elaborate electrical measurements which are both vtime-2cnrrsuirnlng and :expensive 'with vthe possibility ythat more toircuits .may yhe A19u-trout of service before the .leak is "Finally located .and the sheath :repaired fIn `.the method means lWhichforxn the subs ject-matter -oi this invention, sheath "breaks in all types of `lee-dcovered'cable may belocated in a relatively yshort time and. may "be usedwith equalsuccess on 'all types of lead-covered cable, whether aerial? or buried', pressurized 4or' noti under pressure.

The @method and means 'of locating leaks bin lead sheath cab fin Vaccordance `with `my :invention, make use ci aradifeactive gas and 4highly sensitive detecting instrument, for examplle, the well-known Gei er counter, -and vconnai-.lees the introduction into the cable, 4kthrough sui-table valves', etc. gas containing -a suitable radio acti-ve? material or'introducing-into `the gastatready in the cable, when the cable' is normally rgaslled, a radioactive material. rlf'he' gas willl'ow through the-cable under pressure and'vvhen there is; .a break. in the lea-d. sheath .it will escape into thea-incr intox-the gro nd, in .the case oi buried Cablmanfdree-use an el ionoiradioactive energy which will ce picked `loy a highly sensitive detecting device such es a Geiger' counter: The Geiger counter is a welhknowni instrument for detecting single particles from radioactifvated elements, for example ultra-violet rays.; X-ray generators, .Xfrey sourcesand comic sources and has .been found to particularly suitable` for "use in the present invention.

the invention the radioactive ma erial. vwhich Ymay bein'frediwed into gasizalready the .cabley introduced into va gas, beforev it is introduced into the cable, will emit bothbeta and gain-ina rays. The vbeta rays, :bei-ng' in the formof electrons. will notI pass through thelead sheathr :ofthe cable, :while'thc gamma Arays .hating :a short Wavelength will pers through the lead Et is purpose' el? 'this invention to makez use of-"ooth of'tlfies'e rays and tcemploy detecting 'devices' which are' sus'- .ceptible'to either or both types fofraysi,A sino'erith'e gamma raysfwhich pass' 'through the ll-aad sheath of the cable may be detected and employed to locate the cable in the ground and to followits path, andwill show a: greater intensity aft.: the

'i break :due .to lthe, concentration ofthe atiths point, while the beta rays having mass and being in the form of electrons will not pass through the lead sheath of the cable, but will be emitted only at the break in the sheath. rIhus it will be observed that in locating a buried cable and finding the break in the sheath, both the beta and gamma rays may be utilized, while in an aerial cable it will be necessary only to employ the beta rays since the path of the cable and its location is known.

Any suitable radioactive material which will emit either or both beta and gamma rays may be employed, it has been determined that radioactivated carbon I3 oxidized into CO2 will work satisfactorily.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the drawings of which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary section of a pole line supporting a lead sheath aerial cable having a radioactive gas therein and an observer checking the cable for breaks in the sheath.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section 0l an underground lead sheath cable with an observer following the path of the cable by the emission of the gamma rays and checking for leaks in the sheath by an emission of concentration of gamma rays and also an emission of the beta. rays.

Fig. 3 illustrates schematically a suitable device for detecting the beta and gamma rays and giving both audible and visual indications.

In accordance with one form of this invention I introduce into a lead sheath cable, which may be the aerial cable shown at I in Fig. 1, or the buried cable II oi' Fig. 2, a suitable radioactive material. In those instances where the cable is normally maintained under gas pressure I introduce the radioactive material directly into the gas which is being supplied to the cable to maintain it under pressure by any suitable means (not shown) and in those instances where the cable is not maintained under gas pressure I introduced a radioactive gas into the cable by any of the well-known means for introducing an inert gas into a cable.

While any suitable radioactive material may be employed, I have determined that any radioactivated material which will emit either or both beta and gamma rays, introduced directly into the gas-lled cable or into a gas which will be introduced under pressure into the cable will give highly satisfactory results.

As shown in Fig. l, the aerial cable I0 is supported on the poles I 2, I3 and I4 in the wellknown manner and contain a radioactive gas under pressure which will emit gamma rays I5 along its length due to the fact that these rays will readily pass through the lead sheath of the cable, but inasmuch as these rays are emitting uniformly and with a mild intensity along the entire length of the cable it will indicate on the detecting device I6 a uniform emission. However, when the detecting device I5 encounters a strong concentration of gamma rays such as at the breaks I'I in the sheath I0 it will indicate the concentration of these rays and therefore determine the exact location of the break in the lead sheath. At the same time the emission of the beta rays I8 which do not pass through the sheath I0, but emit only at the break in the cable sheath, will also act on the detecting device I6 and also indicate the exact location of the break.

The device I6 may contain a Geiger counter or other suitable detecting device susceptible to both beta and gamma rays and since the location o1' the cable is known, may contain a detecting device susceptible only to beta rays. The device I6 may contain various switching devices and means for suitably shielding the detecting means and may have associated therewith means for audibly and visually indicating the presence of both beta and gamma rays.

As shown in Fig. 2 there is illustrated the device I6 being employed to determine the location, in the ground, of the cable II, by means of the emission of the gamma rays I5, which, as heretofore explained, pass through the sheath of the lead cable and into the ground and will be picked up by the device IE, and will locate the break in the sheath of the cable I0, as at I9, by the concentrated emission of the gamma rays I5 and the emission of the beta rays I8.

In Fig. 3 I have shown schematically a suitable device I6 for detecting the radiation from the gas-lled cables of this invention, together with a suitable power supply and amplifier.

The device I6, comprising a housing 29 having mounted therein a pair of detector tubes 20 and 2| which are capable of picking up radiation from radioactive sources, these tubes are mounted in such a manner that they are exposed to the radiation of rays which emit from the gas-lled cables I0 and Il. The tubes 2U and 2I are connected to a suitable power supply contained in the housing 22, and control knobs 23, 24 and 25 associated with the power supply controls the energization of either of the tubes 20 or 2| or both of them. The tube 20 is responsive to beta rays and the tube 2I to gamma rays and by means of the control knobs which operate suitable switches (not shown) in the power supply, either of the tubes or both of them may be put into operation.

In order that the presence of rays radiating from the cable may be readily observed, a suitable amplifier 26 is provided which is connected to the power supply 22 and has associated therewith a meter 21 and a Set of ear-phones 28 for visually and audibly indicating the presence of radio waves.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it is to be understood that I am not limited to any particular type of radioactive material or to any particular type of detecting device and that I am only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument for detecting the presence of rays emitted from a radioactivated gas which comprises, a housing, a pair of detecting devices located in said housing, each responsive to a particular type of ray, each of said detecting devices connected independently to a source of power and switching means in said power` source for selectively energizing either one or both of said detecting devices.

2. An instrument for detecting the presence of rays emitted from a radioactivated gas which comprises, a housing, a pair of detecting devices located in said housing, one responsive to a beta type of ray and the other to a gamma type of ray, each of said detecting devices connected independently to a source of power, and switching means in said power supply for selectively operating either one or both of said detecting devices and audible and visual indicating means associated therewith.

l ALFRED P. JAHN.

(References on following page) 5 8 REFERENCES CITED OTHER REFERENCES The following references are of record in the Evans: Medical Physics, Otto Glasser, editor, le of this patent: 1944, Year Book Publishers, Inc., Chicago.

UNITED STATES PATENTS lgllbelll ggd Kallgelltide in Physical RBVBW,

,vo. ,pp.

Number Name Date Livingood and Seaborg: Review of Modern 2.345943 Mysels APF- 4- 1944 Physics, v01. 12, pp. 30-34. Jan. 1940.

2,390,433 Fearon Dec. 4, 1945 2,429,577 French Oct. 21, 1947Y 

